Salt Lake City police were staked outside the Salt Palace Convention Center on Saturday afternoon, looking for a man who allegedly stabbed another man after an argument on a TRAX platform at 155 W. South Temple.
Witnesses said two men got into an altercation on the Temple Square TRAX platform shortly after 3 p.m., when one of the men pulled out a knife and stabbed the other man at least once in the abdomen, said Salt Lake City Police Lt. Scott White.
White said it's unclear why the two men were arguing.
The 26-year-old victim walked across the street to 123 W. South Temple and told a sheriff's deputy on duty as a security guard inside Abravanel Hall that he was "bleeding from the stomach," White said.
The victim hesitated to tell the sheriff's deputy -- and police who arrived at the scene -- that he had been a victim of a crime, White said. The victim told the sheriff's deputy he had simply been walking down the street when he started bleeding, White said.
The victim was transported to an area hospital for his injuries, which do not appear to be life-threatening, White said.
Witnesses told police the suspected assailant may have run inside the convention center. Police surrounded the building and searched for the suspect, but were unsuccessful in finding him.
White said it may be difficult to proceed with the case because the victim is uncooperative with police. White said it's possible the stabbing is a result of a drug deal gone bad -- one reason the victim is hesitant to provide authorities with information about the suspect.
"In this case, our victim doesn't want to be a victim," White said, noting the victim is "well known" to police and has a criminal history.
Witnesses described the suspect as a white male in his 20s, about 6 feet tall with red hair, White said. He wore black pants, a black backpack and carried a skateboard. Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call the Salt Lake City Police Department at 801-799-3000.
